


Rafael, Meet the Nine-Nine!

by soul_writerr



Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV), Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Cousins, Crack Treated Seriously, Crossover, Established Relationship, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Meet the Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-07
Updated: 2019-03-07
Packaged: 2019-11-13 13:11:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18032360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soul_writerr/pseuds/soul_writerr
Summary: When Rafael thought their ‘meet the family’ phase was over, the pouring of cousins began.Sonny had seven uncles and aunts. Three from his mother’s side, four from his father’s side. And most of them had at least two children. Rafael had given up on learning all their names a long time ago, but Sonny kept reminding him that he had yet to meet his favorite cousins.And Rafael did know those two specific names, because he was absolutely dreading meeting them.Jake Peralta and Gina Linetti.





	Rafael, Meet the Nine-Nine!

**Author's Note:**

> If you follow me on twitter you'll have seen that I'm always screaming about how Jake and Sonny would be best friends in that universe, but a couple weeks ago Jake mentioned on b99 that he was half-italian, and thus my sudden "Jake and Sonny are cousins" headcanon.
> 
> ENJOY MY INSANITY!

Rafael and Sonny had been dating for almost a year and the string of relatives Rafael ‘just had to meet’ still wasn’t over. 

Meeting Sonny’s parents went well, but, truth be told, it was the three sisters Rafael had been the most nervous about. He knew they were very protective of Sonny and he talked about how much he loved them nonstop, so Rafael did feel a little pressured to win their approval.

When it came down to it, the main Carisi clan loved Rafael and they all got along amazingly well, and of course Sonny and his dimpled smile had gotten Lucia Barba’s approval in a heartbeat. But then, when Rafael thought their ‘meet the family’ phase was over, the pouring of cousins began.

Sonny had seven uncles and aunts. Three from his mother’s side, four from his father’s side. And most of them had  _ at least  _ two children. Rafael had given up on learning all their names a long time ago, but Sonny kept reminding him that he had yet to meet his favorite cousins. 

And Rafael did know  _ those  _ two specific names, because he was absolutely dreading meeting them.

Jake Peralta and Gina Linetti. 

“Raf, I’m so excited for you to finally meet them,” Sonny said, beaming, as he set the table for the much awaited lunch. “They’re gonna love you.” 

“Of course,” he teased, giving Sonny his most confident look. “I’ve managed to charm all your family so far.”

Sonny smiled at him, proud. “I know. I’m sure Jake and Gina will try to intimidate you, but they’re big softies. Bigger than ma and Bella put together.”

“I honestly don’t know why you keep saying Bella is a softie, she literally punched me in the arm the day I met her,” Rafael rolled his eyes, placing wine glasses next to each plate. 

“That’s how she shows affection, Raf,” he shrugged. “It means she likes you.” 

“Alright, but my point stands,” Rafael looked at Sonny pointedly. “There was nothing soft about that punch.”

Sonny laughed and waved him off. “You won’t be punched today, don’t worry. Jake and Gina are  _ real  _ softies, I promise.” 

“Let me be the judge of that, especially because in your family the only softies I’ve met so far were you, Mia, and your 2 year old niece, but that’s probably because she’s too small. I’m sure in about ten years she’ll be punching as hard as her mother,” he said with a dramatic shudder. 

“Don’t worry,” Sonny said placantanly. “I’ll teach Emilia how to show emotion through words, not punches.” 

Rafael was about to argue how pointless Sonny’s idea was when there was a very police-like knock on the door. Rafael snorted because it was the same way Sonny knocked before he walked into his office at 1 Hogan Place. 

“They’re here,” Sonny squealed excitedly, reaching for Rafael’s hand. “Come on.” 

He was half-dragged by Sonny towards the door, who went for the doorknob without even checking through the peephole. The knock was a dead giveaway anyway. 

However, when Sonny opened the door, there weren’t only Jake and Gina waiting for them. The hallway was full with a whole squad worth of people.

And then it clicked. This was the 99th, Sonny’s old precinct. 

“Sunny boy!,” Jake greeted excitedly. And Rafael knew it was him because Sonny had shown him a picture of his with Jake and Gina in Staten Island. “You look so freaking good, man!” 

He pulled Sonny into a hug, then it all exploded as everybody started talking at the same time as they walked in. They greeted Sonny with an unparalleled level of enthusiasm, and said hello to Rafael with big smiles and pats on the shoulder.

One little man with very big eyes thrust a casserole into his hands and said, “I brought Sonny’s favorite lasagna. It’s still warm, but if you put it in the oven for 10 minutes, it’ll be even better.”

Another man, tall, with arms thicker than Rafael’s whole torso and pectorals so well defined you could see it through his shirt handed Rafael a big bowl. “It’s Sharon’s special chicken salad. Ready to serve!” 

“I brought wine,” announced a little latina woman with straight hair, handing three bottles to Sonny with a sheepish look. 

“Okay, okay,” Sonny smiled, closing the door behind a stoic looking man and guiding the group into the living room. “Everybody, go easy on Rafael, will you? I wasn’t expecting all of you to come, this is a little overwhelming.”

“You invited Jake and Gina and didn’t expect us to come?,” the man with the pectorals said, looking at Sonny as if he were stupid. “That’s unrealistic.” 

“I was offended when you didn’t call me,” said another latina woman in a leather jacket. “But then I figured the invitation extended to your whole Nine-Nine family. It goes without saying, right?” 

“Of course it does!,” Sonny lied, and Rafael tried to resist the urge to roll his eyes at him. “I missed you guys so much. Please, let me introduce you all to Rafael.”

Sonny took the casserole and the bowl from Rafael’s hands and placed it on the dinner table as he went around the group. He made sure to repeat everyone’s name in his mind as Sonny introduced them. Rafael had heard tons of stories about Sonny’s days in Brooklyn, and he knew all these people were special to him. 

Rafael shook everybody’s hand, then offered drinks. The room exploded again, this time in a myriad of different orders coming from each guest, and Rafael almost jumped back at the burst of loud noise. This group was so different from SVU’s contained, sober energy, it would take a moment to get used to it. 

Thankfully, Gina offered to help with the drinks, and she followed Rafael into the kitchen with a little smile that told him she was about to go all Carisi on him - or, in her case, all Linetti. As soon as the kitchen’s swinging door closed behind them, she was on him.

“Okay, Rafael Barba,” Gina started in what he thought was supposed to be an intimidating tone. “What’s your deal?”

“Uh,” he blinked rapidly. “What do you mean?”

Gina narrowed her eyes at him, then nonchalantly went to the fridge and opened it, filling her arms with as many beers as she could carry. “What do you want from Sonny?”

What the hell? “He’s my boyfriend. I don’t expect anything other than him being my boyfriend.” 

“And what does that mean?,” she deposited all the beers on the kitchen counters and went around looking for a bottle opener, opening and closing drawers like she owned the place. 

“It means what I said,” he replied, trying not to sound too rude. This was one of Sonny’s favorite cousins, after all. “What you normally expect from a boyfriend.” 

Gina turned back to look at him so fast he almost got whiplash.“I expect my boyfriends to walk through fire for me, to give me all their money, to treat me like the queen that I am, to see that I’m the best thing that could ever happen in their lives,” Gina said, gesticulating wildly, the bottle opener waving dangerously in her hand. “I expect them to drop everything for me, I’m meant to be their priority, their one and only reason for being alive. What do  _ you  _ expect from Sonny, Rafael Barba?”

“Yeah, not any of  _ that _ ,” Rafael chuckled, then cleared his throat. “Listen Gina, Sonny and I are partners. We’re equals at home, we’re equals at work. He has given me more than I myself could have expected or even ever asked from him. I could only expect him to be open and honest with me, and to love me.”

Gina quickly opened the five bottles, watching Rafael the whole time. 

“I know you’re protective. Apparently all women in his family are, and I understand, but I love him, more than I thought I could love anyone, and I’m never going to hurt him. I want to spend the rest of my life with him, making him happy every day,” it was similar to the speech he had given Theresa, Sonny’s hot-headed sister. She seemed to approve of it, so he hoped Gina would too.

“I’m gonna be watching you, Rafael Barba,” she narrowed her eyes at him as she picked up the bottles. “The Captain wants whiskey and Amy and I will have the wine, if you please.”

With that, she left. 

Rafael watched the door swinging for a moment, then shook his head and grabbed two wine glasses and two tumblers from one of the cupboards. Just then, Sonny walked in with a soft smile. 

“Hey, Gina just walked into the living room saying she thinks you’re pretty cool,” his smile grew. “Did you win her over already?”

“I have no idea,” he laughed as he served two glasses of wine, then reached for his favorite Scotch to pour himself a big glass. “She said she’ll be  _ watching me _ .” 

“Don’t mind Gina, she’s been skeptical of my dating choices ever since the skii guy,” Sonny grimaced. 

Rafael’s face immediately hardened. “You know I don’t like talking about that little shit, Sonny. He was manipulative, rude, obnoxious, and just plainly toxic.”

“Raf, I know,” Sonny approached him, placing both his hands on Rafael’s hips. “Forget I even said anything. Gina is just looking out after me, but I’ve made the right choice this time, I know that.” 

He smiled, then leaned in to peck Sonny’s on the lips. “Good. Now, which Whiskey do you think the Captain would like best?,” he asked, pulling a bottle of Bourbon next to his good old Scotch.

Sonny winced. “Captain Holt is very peculiar about everything, you better ask him.”

And just like that, Sonny left the kitchen to summon his previous commanding officer. Rafael hoped that his boyfriend would come back in along with him, but it was just his luck that he’d be left alone with another member of the 99th.

“I was told you were having a bit of a conundrum about my drink,” Captain Holt said as he walked in.

Rafael almost laughed. But instead he cleared his throat and indicated the two bottles on the counter. “I just wasn’t sure which one you’d prefer.” 

“Bourbon, of course,” he said with no hesitation, then looked at the tumbler in Rafael’s hand. “Ah. I see you’re having Scotch. That’s a  _ choice _ .” 

He probably shouldn’t feel offended, but he did. “Don’t tell me you take your Whiskey on ice, too.”

“I do, Counselor,” Holt crossed his arms over his shoulders. “How else am I supposed to enjoy my drink?”

“That’s revolting,” he said, and Holt stared at him for about thirty seconds, then slowly smiled a big, shark-like smile. Rafael blinked, confused.

“You’re really funny, Rafael,” Holt nodded. “Sonny was right about you.”

Still confused, he served Holt’s Bourbon and offered him ice. “I have no idea what he said about me, but thanks, I guess.”

“He’s just very fond of you,” he took a sip of his drink and hummed approvingly. “I’d love to have the two of you over for dinner. Kevin has been asking nonstop about your work. Do you, by any chance, do seminars?”

“I’ve never had the opportunity, but I could be persuaded,” he smirked.

Holt considered him for a second. “Kevin’s a professor at Columbia and I’m sure they’d love to have you over there. How about we make that happen?”

“Sounds fantastic,” Rafael nodded, suddenly excited. 

“Splendid,” Holt tilted his glass, silently inviting Rafael for a toast. “Thanks for having us today, Rafael.”

“Sonny loves the Nine-Nine, it’s my pleasure to meet you all.” 

The kitchen door opened again then and in came Amy and Charles, the latter holding the lasagna he brought. 

“I was sent to get the wine,” Amy said, grabbing both glasses Rafael had served and the bottle. “And Captain, Jake is telling inaccurate versions of all the cases you solved together.”

“Good God,” Holt rolled his eyes and left right behind Amy, leaving Rafael alone with Charles. 

“Someone forgot to put this in the oven,” Charles said, sounding a little disappointed, but feigning enthusiasm anyway. “It’s fine, we can reheat it in no time.”

Rafael watched as he comfortably approached their oven and turned it on. 

“Oh, but this is a beauty,” he said, in awe as he brushed a hand over the burners. Sonny had been very particular about which oven to get for the apartment and, because Rafael couldn’t cook anything other than a couple Cuban dishes, he didn’t have much to say on the matter. But judging by Charles’ reaction, Sonny had made a very good choice. “Sonny has great taste, doesn’t he?”

He smirked, pointedly looking down at himself. “I’d like to think so.”

“Oh,” Charles suddenly blushed. “I meant the stove. I mean - You’re great. Nice. Smart. Very attractive and all. Top notch. If only I were into guys!,” he laughed, awkwardly, then paled. “I mean, I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t do that to Sonny. I have a wife!” 

Rafael let out a loud laugh. “I’m just kidding, Charles. It’s okay. But thank you.”

Charles waved a hand, looking sheepish and a little red. “When Sonny was still in the 99th, we used to dream about the perfect kitchen, a lot. We always talked about this stove. It’s like  _ the one _ for baking, you know?” his voice slightly wavering, Charles brought a hand to his mouth. “I’m just so happy for him. He got the job he wanted, the oven he wanted, and,” he choked, looking over at Rafael. “And someone who loves him.” 

Rafael shifted uncomfortably in place, his hand tightening around his glass. He didn’t know what to do. Was this normal? Did Charles react this way to all stoves or was he having a breakdown? Rafael wasn’t sure.  

“He’s so happy,” he continued. “He was just telling us about how you two met,” oh, right. They had a living room full of guests. Rafael really needed to get out of this kitchen. “And it was so beautiful.”

He blinked. “We met at SVU.”

Charles sobbed loudly. “I know!,” he squeaked. “Such an unique love story.” 

“That’s really sweet of you, Charles,” Rafael said in an attempt to calm the other man down. “Sonny’s always telling me about your bake-offs.”

However, that had the opposite effect, and Charles cried louder. “Oh my god, I miss our bake-offs. Don’t tell him I said this, but he’s a much better baker than I am. Probably because of, you know, his fingers.” 

Rafael had no idea what he meant by that, but before he could ask, the door opened again and Jake walked in holding a bottle of beer.

Oh, no. Not Jake. 

“Charles!,” he laughed. “Are you crying?”

“I’m not,” Charles lied, his voice going incredibly high.

“Yeah, you are. You’ve been crying since Sonny told the story about how he met Rafael, you’re so predictable,” Jake said fondly, his attention on Charles’ meltdown, so Rafael took the chance to throw back the rest of his drink and refill the glass. “Get out of here, go wash your face. I’ll keep an eye on your lasagna.”

“You’re the best, Jake,” he said, still a little emotional, and left. 

Rafael looked at Jake, who was looking back at him with a little smirk. 

“Rafael Barba,” he started. “Have you been hiding from me?”

“No, I’ve been trying to get out of this kitchen for half an hour now, but your squad won’t let me,” Rafael said, annoyed. 

“Cornering boyfriends is what the Nine-Nine does best,” Jake said proudly. “And now it’s my turn.”

Rafael groaned out loud, taking another long sip of his drink as Jake watched him with his eyes narrowed.

“I’ve read everything there is to know about you, Rafael Barba,” he started, pacing around the kitchen dramatically. “Born in the Bronx, your father wasn’t around much, I can relate to that, but who needs dads anyway?,” he waved a hand, pulling a face. “You lived with your mother and your grandmother, who came from Cuba to -”

“I know my life story,” Rafael cut in, annoyed. 

“But I have a whole speech planned out,” Jake told him, throwing his free hand in the air frustratingly. “Alright, I’ll jump over to the bit where I tell you this: I get it, you’re smart, you’re accomplished, you’re damn good at your job, and Sonny idolizes the crap out of you, but he’s my family and, if you hurt him, you’ve got the whole Nine-Nine coming for you.”

Rafael blinked rapidly. “You’re threatening me?”  

“Yeah, I realize that’s not the best idea considering you’re the most powerful man in all of Manhattan,” Jake said rushedly in an undertone. “But,” he continued loudly. “I wanted to get the message across. I care about Sonny a lot, he’s my favorite cousin ever, don’t tell Gina that, but we grew up together, and he’s made some pretty nasty choices in the past.”

“I know,” he sighed. “And I’m glad to know you care. Sonny needs people like that in his life. But I can promise you I have no intention of hurting him. I love him, Jake. So much,” Rafael said, and swallowed hard. He couldn’t keep eye contact as he continued. “Sometimes it scares me just how far that love can go.”

Jake nodded, giving him a sympathetic look. He stepped closer to Rafael, resting a hand on his shoulder in a comforting manner. 

“I believe you, Rafael,” he said fondly. “But if anything happens to him, you’ll wake up in a bathtub full of tuna.” 

Rafael snorted. “Stop threatening me, Jake.”

“I can’t,” Jake laughed awkwardly. “I have a whole list of things I might do.” 

“Yeah?,” he narrowed his eyes. “And how many of those things include tuna?”

Jake set his lips into a thin line, looking like he’d just been caught red-handed. “A couple,” he muttered, and Rafael smirked. “Alright, fine! All of them. I got the idea from the bodega across the street. I’ll have you know they have a great sale going on.” 

Rafael laughed. “I know. Sonny brought an insane amount home last night.”

Jake gasped and brought a hand to his heart. “That’s why he’s my favorite cousin.” 

“Jake, what the hell,” Gina yelled from the door and they both turned to her. “I knew you were lying to me when you said I was your favorite, but to find out like this? Because of some tuna that’s on sale? You’re dead to me,” she said and stormed out.

“No, no, Gina, wait!,” he squeaked, running after her. 

Rafael quickly refilled his glass and made his way to the door. He really need to escape this kitchen while he had time. Then suddenly he remembered Charles’ lasagna, so, groaning, he turned back around to check on it. 

That was all it took for the kitchen door to open again. “Nope, no way. Whatever you need, be my guest, I’m living this kitchen right after I-,” he started as he opened the oven, then turned to see it was Sonny, smiling. “Oh, it’s you.”

Sonny chuckled. “Yeah, I heard some yelling, and then Gina locked herself in the bathroom.” 

“She found out you’re Jake’s favorite cousin,” he said, closing the oven again. 

“Really?,” Sonny gasped, his eyes going wide. “I always thought he preferred Gina.”

“Well, he threatened me two times in the last three minutes, so I’d say he likes you a lot.”

He winced. “Sorry about that. Jake promised he’d kill my next boyfriend and frame me for it if I kept making shitty choices.”

“Ah,” Rafael nodded. “So the threats are real, then.”

Gingerly, Sonny approached him, reaching for Rafael’s hips with both hands. “You know they’re not. Jake wouldn’t hurt a fly.” 

“Well, he’s certainly brave,” Rafael wrapped his arms around Sonny’s neck, pulling him closer. “And good at thinking on his feet.”

Sonny chuckled. “Yeah, that’s what makes him a good Detective. His imagination knows no boundaries.” 

“Yes, he’s found a creative way to use tuna, from what I’ve gathered,” he teased, and leaned in to kiss Sonny lightly. 

It was supposed to be a quick kiss, but when Rafael pulled away, Sonny chased his lips and kissed him again. They kept it somewhat chaste, but Rafael couldn’t help but groan when Sonny sneakily licked and sucked his bottom lip. 

Unsurprisingly, they were interrupted by someone clearing their throat. 

This time, the whole of the 99th was crowding the door, one pushing the other so they could all get a head in. 

“I came to check on the lasagna,” Charles said sheepishly. 

“We need more beer,” Rosa said, and pointed at Terry and Jake. 

“I’d like a refill,” Holt said firmly, shaking his empty tumbler in front of his face.

“This bottle is gone,” Amy slurred, showing an empty bottle of wine. 

“Why are you hiding in the kitchen?,” Terry asked.

“I believe they were,” Holt started, pausing for a dramatic moment. “Having a romantic moment.”

“Yeah, but that’s ruined now, so can we please eat?,” Rosa cut in. 

“The lasagna,” Charles repeated, in a very small and slightly desperate voice. “It’s gonna burn.”

Sonny laughed. “Get your damn lasagna, Charles,” he said, untangling himself from Rafael. “Come on, we gotta figure out where all these people are gonna sit. We don’t have enough chairs.” 

“I call dibs on the sofa!,” Jake said, and skipped happily back into the living room.

“Hell no. Jake, don’t!,” Sonny called, running after him.

The rest of the Nine-Nine crowded into the kitchen, refilling their drinks and opening bottles like they belonged there. Rafael couldn’t help but smile as Amy spilled wine on the counter and immediately had a breakdown as she tried to clean it, only to be shushed by Rosa, and his smile grew when Captain Holt filled his glass with Scotch instead of Bourbon, winking at Rafael as he did it. 

Rafael could see perfectly how and why Sonny fit into this group. They were peculiar as individuals, but as a group, they were a great group of caring, kind people. And Rafael was more than happy to be accepted into the weird little family they made.

**Author's Note:**

> I still have other three short stories to put up, so lemme hear yall make some noise! Comments and kudos will definitely help them come sooner - you were all so supportive of the last one, uploading this today was my thanks to you all for that <3 
> 
> Don't forget to leave a little love before you exit this <3 <3 <3


End file.
